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King Lear Themes

Stephen HawkingStephen William Hawking, (born 8 January 1942) is a British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. Among his significant scientific works have been a collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularities theorems in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation. Hawking was the first to set forth a cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He is a vocal supporter of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Hawking was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge between 1979 and 2009. Hawking has achieved success with works of popular science in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general; his A Brief History of Time stayed on the British Sunday Times best-sellers list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Hawking has a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic (ALS), a condition that has progressed over the years. He is almost entirely paralyzed and communicates through a speech. He married twice and has three children.

Education:Stephen Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 to Frank and Isobel Hawking. Despite family financial constraints, both parents had attended Oxford University, where Frank had studied medicine and Isobel Philosophy, Politics and Economics. The two met shortly after the beginning of the Second World War at a medical research institute where Isobel was working as a secretary and Frank as a medical researcher. Hawking's parents lived inHighgate but as London was under attack during the Second World War, his mother went to Oxford to give birth in greater safety. He has two younger sisters, Philippa and Mary, and...

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...According to the Paperback Canadian Oxford Dictionary, to be mad is to be "insane" and to have "a disordered mind." Throughout KingLear, there are several different characters who one would question if they are in an orderly state of mind. The Earl of Kent, Edgar, the Fool, and KingLear all portray varying degrees of madness. Some have alternative motives behind their madness while others are simply losing touch with reality around them.
The Earl of Kent is a close advisor to KingLear. Lear decides to split up his kingdom between his two daughters, Regan and Goneril, and to banish his youngest daughter, Cordelia, from the kingdom. Kent strongly advises Lear to keep reign over his own kingdom and insists that Cordelia should not be renounced. With these displeasing remarks to Lear, Kent is banished from the kingdom as well. Instead of leaving the kingdom, Kent returns under a disguise to continue to watch over Lear. While trying to gain a place in the king's company, Kent plays the role of a somewhat senile old man who has extreme loyalty to his king. Take, for instance, Kent physically and verbally attacking the servant, Oswald, for no more reason than to gain a laugh from the king and reinforce his loyalty to the king. These acts, while they do have good reason behind them, lead...

...Stephanie Manova
3R, KingLear Essay
In Shakespeare’s KingLear, emotional sight is not dependent on physical sight, for many characters are blinded by their own egos and ambitions to see the actual truth. Shakespeare even goes as far as inserting a literal metaphor for sight by making Gloucester finally realize the truth, only when his physical vision is removed. Although this example is most obvious, the theme reoccurs throughout the play. It is not until Lear’s prestige is taken away from him that he can truly see. Lear’s blunder into honest insanity is the perfect storm to start decaying the walls of Lear’s hubris and lack of insight. However, the King is not the only one blinded by his pride. His two haughty daughters, Goneril and Regan, are chasing after a similarly snobby earl, Edmund. Each member of this power driven trio leads themselves to their own inevitable endings, all because of their inability to communicate honestly with one another due to their conceded ambition to get ahead.
King Lear’s lack of insight can be perceived as his mental state of “blindness”. Because of Lear’s high position in society, he is expected to be able to distinguish the good from the bad; unfortunately, his lack of sight beyond himself prevents him from doing so. Lear’s first act of blindness came at the beginning of the play. First, he was easily deceived by his two eldest...

...KingLear: Themes
Many themes are evident in KingLear, but perhaps one of the most prevalent
relates to the theme of justice. Shakespeare has developed a tragedy that
allows us to see man's decent into chaos. Although Lear is perceived as "a man
more sinned against than sinning" (p.62), the treatment of the main characters
encourages the reader to reflect on the presence or lack of justice in this
world. The characters also vary in their inclination to view the world from
either a fatalistic or moralistic point of view, depending on their beliefs
about the presence or absence of a higher power. The theme of justice in
relation to higher powers can be illustrated from the perspective of KingLear,
Gloucester, and Edgar.
When reading KingLear, it is helpful to understand the Elizabethan "Chain
of Being" in which nature is viewed as order. Rosenblatt (1984) states that
there was a belief in an established hierarchy within the universe. Everything
had its own relative position beginning with Heaven, the Divine Being, and the
stars and planets which are all above. On earth the king is next, then the
nobles, on down to the peasantry. Holding the lowest position were the beggars
and lunatics and finally, the animals. Interrupting this order is unnatural....

...Samantha Campbell
ENG4U-B
Lesson Nine
Justice in KingLear
Many themes appear in KingLear, but one of the most common relates to the theme of justice. William Shakespeare often makes references to the gods. They are seen as both just and unjust. Justice is an essential factor in the civilized human life. It is the quality of being just or fair, the rights and the assignment of rewards and punishments. In KingLear, many of the ‘good guys’ die as well as the ‘bad guys’. Is this justified? In this Shakespeare tragedy, some justice is present, but there are more injustices towards the innocent characters. Kent, for example is sent away from the kingdom because of his honesty. The King is beginning to lose his sanity and he does not realize that the decisions that he is making are incorrect. Secondly, Cordelia did not deserve the punishment that she received. She is banished from her home as well, and later dies when Edmund locks her and KingLear up in prison. Both Kent and Cordelia receive unfair punishments. On the other hand, Goneril and Regan deserve the treatments that they get. The theme of justice is illustrated by the actions of Kent, the Fool, KingLear and also his three daughters.
Kent is treated poorly by KingLear; he is honest, but...

...literary, linguistic and rhetorical devices and conventions to create specific dramatic effects.
The theme of power is explored extensively in the play and in this first scene the theme is already established. This scene takes place after Kent and Gloucester's conversation about Gloucester's illegitimate son Edmund, the dark subplot within the play draws out the theme of power in the main plot, for example the power Gloucester asserts as a father is parallel to the power KingLear has. Power is an important theme within the play because many of the characters abuse their power and use power as a tool for manipulation and control, other characters on the other hand, desire power and authority but ultimately power corrupts all.
This scene is set in the king’s court and this extract is an example of family talk which at times is intimate but it is also an example of public talk, the language in this passage is purely for regulatory and performative purposes. This highly formal public context creates tension and the speech itself opens with an important topic, the audience know that kingLear intends to divide his power and kingdom among his three daughters but demands they publicly profess their love for him. "Conferring them on younger strengths, while we unburdened crawl toward death", the imagery in the opening of the scene here is of a feeble old man...

...orders. The rejection of cordelia leads to familial disorder, and after Regan and Goneril’s inheritance of the king's authority and land results in a social anarchy. The final destruction within the older of divinity, king lear’s decision to step down before his time.
The evidence of old personal order destruction becomes clear when he hand down his power by diving his kingdom, he hands power to those who are plotting against him. i “Meantime we shall express our darker purpose. Give me the map there. Know that we have divided?In three our kingdom” (1.2) .kingLear is blinded by manipulative personalities of his two daughter’s Regan and Goneril, he fails to reveal their true intentions of humiliating him and take advantage of him in order to benefit themselves. Being blinded by the need to be loved by his daughters kingLear delegates his authority to them. The desperation of the king who wanted to hear his daughter declare their love for him is the sign that the king is lost, his a lost king who puts his needs and wants before governing his kingdom. His more interested in being flattered by people who surrounds him.
The passing down of power to those who wants it for their own selfish reason leads to social disorder and anarchy. The disorder arises when Lear declares that he will divide his kingdom to those who claims to love him more by...

...play God, is not the Divine One, He is rather depicted as many gods, like in Greek mythology. God sees to it that both evil doers and good doers receive justice and rewards, but sometimes God is not fair, those good doers are sometimes persecuted with the evil doers because of association or to prove a point.
Divine justice is a very ambiguous notion; one might ask what punishment is too much for a certain crime or what punishment is too little for a crime. For example, in the case of Chris Brown and Rihanna, some people may think that Chris Brown’s punishment is not just. But based on divine justice his punishment will come in due time. You cannot always rely on the courts or those that are considered the “crown” like KingLear, to intervene and ensure proper consequences. In Chris Brown’s case he is still enduring his punishment, he has been shunned publicly, badgered constantly, lost fans, lost money, and on a downward spiral, the courts could not have caused this. This is justice by the divine One. In the case of Casey Anthony many people believe that she should have been charged with the killing of her daughter but she was instead just charged with incriminating evidence. This punishment was not enough for the crime or deed she supposedly committed. There are numerous cases in which someone committed a crime and received a very unfitting punishment for the crime. In the play most of the characters that were doing wrong were...

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Attempting to further his glory, KingLear actually destroys his reputation and authority and, upon realizing he has brought this devastation upon himself, inflicts punishment upon himself. However, the tragedy is truly established when the audience finds a reflection of themselves in KingLear and, despite the tragic downfall, Lear finds a victory in his defeat when he comes into a purer understanding of the world and his true self. Lear endures an extended storm that forces him to redefine himself as a man. Although the storm eventually calms and order is restored to his kingdom, Lear does not see a future, for his selfish actions destroy the one truth he knew – Cordelia. As Lear takes responsibility for his egocentric actions, he comes to a sense of anagnorisis that allows Lear to better understand the definition of “king” and, although it leads to his tragic death, there is a sense of victory in his knowledge gained, making Lear a model for the tragic hero.
Although KingLear had more faith in his daughters when he gave them the crown, he comes to know he is at fault for his downfall because he thought, as king, that he was morally above all citizens. KingLear strives to create the best possible situation for himself in which he is still...